Chapter 28 More Flips than a Pancake Breakfast
More Flips than a Pancake Breakfast
Darcy
We make it back to the hotel in the early afternoon, and my father promises not to do a thing before the rehearsal dinner apart from taking a nap. “Don’t worry about me, pumpkin,” he says. “Go have fun.”
“Will do, Dad,” I say.
Eric gives me the side-eye, which probably means that it came out sounding snarkier than I intended. But I’m physically and emotionally exhausted, and I need a moment to collect myself.
“How about this,” Eric says, eyeing me from head to toe and looking strangely concerned. “I need to take a quick five-mile run, and then we’ll hang out on the beach. Maybe you’d feel better if you found a snack. Breakfast was a while ago.”
“I’ll grab something for both of us,” I announce as the elevator doors part.
“And E-Train?” I stop in the middle of the carpeted hallway and put a hand on his sturdy chest. Normally, I wouldn’t touch him there.
I wouldn’t have the right. But after a night of raucous sex, all the rules have changed.
“Thank you for everything. Today’s drama wasn’t supposed to be part of the itinerary. ”
He doesn’t crack a joke or laugh it off the way that I expect him to. Instead, he leans forward and kisses me right in the center of the forehead. “You’re welcome, Kendrick. Anytime.”
Oh, Eric. If we keep treating each other like a real partner, I’m going to get awfully confused. I pull out my hotel key card and swipe into our suite.
He reaches up and ruffles my hair as the lock clicks open. “You know, it’s cute the way your father calls you pumpkin. As redhead jokes go, I suppose it could be worse.”
“I don’t think it’s a redhead joke,” I say, kicking off my shoes the minute I get inside this suite.
“No?”
I shrug with forced nonchalance. “I’ve heard him call Tessa pumpkin, too.”
He stops short. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
I look up into his gray eyes and slowly shake my head.
And this is definitely one of those moments when I’m forced to acknowledge just how bonkers my family is.
The first time I heard him call Tessa my childhood nickname, I was so startled that I went into the bathroom of his Marblehead house and cried.
“Motherfucker.” Eric lets out a slow breath. “Do we need a couple hours on the beach, or what?”
“We really, really do.”
An hour later I’m parked on one half of a double lounge chair, watching Eric jog shirtless toward me down the beach. Admiring his sweaty, muscled body in motion would be fantastic from any angle. But when he spots me, he smiles, and it takes the experience to a whole new level.
My stomach does more flips than a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning.
As he closes the distance on powerful legs, several people in my peripheral vision turn to stare. “Lord in heaven,” whispers a female voice from a nearby chair. “Which part of my soul do I have to sell for a piece of that?”
I know this one! You only need to sacrifice your whole heart.
Eric stops running only to thread his way between the beach chairs toward me. He’s still smiling, which causes me to lose a few IQ points. “Hey.” He stops in front of my chair, putting his hands on his muscular hips, right below the V-cut.
“Hey,” I say, and it comes out as a dreamy sigh. “I got us drinks and snacks.” Then I pat the empty half of our lounge chair, like this is the high school cafeteria and I’m trying to entice the hottest jock in school to sit at my lunch table.
Now that I think about it, the whole Wedding Experience is like reliving high school in an alternate universe. The family drama and the perpetual fashion crises are familiar enough. Except I don’t have acne, and I’m fake dating the hottest guy in the senior class.
Eric, oblivious to the emotional roller coaster I’m riding, toes out of his shoes and sets his phone on the chair. “Let me jump in the water for a minute to cool off. Want to come?”
I shake my head a beat too late, distracted by the tiny droplets of sweat on his collarbones.
“Right back,” he says, turning to jog back to the water again. I watch him lope into the shallows and then dive under. And I swear I hear a collective sigh rise up around me as he disappears beneath the waves.
When he returns a few minutes later, I’m rubbing sunblock all over my body, because redheads burn. “Thank you for wearing the green bikini.” He looks me up and down approvingly as he settles onto the chair. “You remembered.”
“Maybe I just don’t have an infinite number of bathing suits.”
He gives me a wolfish smile. “That’s okay, boo. You don’t have to admit that you wore it for me. Do I still get to take it off you later?”
“I think that could be arranged.” I give him what is hopefully a sultry glance. “And look how easily you upgraded yourself from the couch? Pretty devious.”
Eric doesn’t smile, though. His cool gray eyes stare right into my soul, and then he says, “It was never about the mattress, Kendrick. You know that, right?”
“Yeah…” I say brilliantly. “That was just a joke.”
“I hope so,” he whispers. Then he leans back against the chair and puts a hand on my knee. Just casually. Like it belongs there.
And a minute later, I realize I’m holding so still—so he won’t remove his hand—that I’ve forgotten to breathe. “Want an iced tea?” I squeak, taking in air.
“Love one.”
I reach under my seat and pull out the drink I brought for him. The plastic glass is sweating, but it’s still cold. “Here.”
“Thanks, boo.”
I turn my grin toward the ocean. But then I see something that makes me stop smiling. “Don’t look now, but here comes Tessa with a bag full of sporting equipment.” It looks like a badminton set and maybe some horseshoes.
“I’m closed for business,” he slurs. “All I want to do is drink this tea and nap in close proximity to the green bikini.” He rests the glass on his tight stomach and closes his eyes.
Idly, I watch Tessa unzip the badminton set and examine the pieces—various poles and a net. It looks complicated, but I don’t have any inclination to get up and help her.
After several attempts go awry, I see her stand up and scan the deck chairs.
Uh-oh.
“Eric!” she calls. “A little help over here?”
“Don’t do it,” I say under my breath.
But he’s the captain of all things. So I’m not all that surprised when he opens his eyes and sits up. With only a small groan of displeasure, he heaves himself up and walks off to help her.
I stay put, finishing my tea and eating one of the cookies I brought down to the beach. I watch Tessa boss Eric around until he recruits one of Theo’s friends to help him.
Maribel appears on the beach in a bathing suit, a ball cap, and sporty sunglasses. “Hey, Darcy,” she says, perching on the foot of our chair. “You doing okay?”
“I’m great,” I tell her, and it’s almost true.
“You sure?” She drops her voice. “I wanted to thank you guys for what you did earlier. You and Eric saved the day. That was so scary.”
My stomach tightens at the memory of my father, gasping on the grass. “It was,” I concede. “From what I understand, it’s been tricky to get his medication just right. And I’m not sure he always takes the doctor’s advice.”
She flinches. “I hope he’ll realize he needs to be more careful.”
“I hope so, too,” I whisper. “He wouldn’t listen to me, though. We have a complicated relationship.”
She touches me lightly on the wrist. “I know it. You and Eric have that in common. You’ve met his parents.”
“I sure have.”
Her smile warms. “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Darcy. I know you and Theo haven’t had the easiest time of it. But I want you to know that we’re both happy you’re here.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly. And for the first time in over a decade, I actually feel entirely welcome at a Randolph family function.
“You and Eric are so cute together,” she adds, ruining me.
“Uh, thanks.” Now I feel like a heel—both for the deception of our relationship and also for wishing that it wasn’t a deception.
“I worry about him,” she says quietly. “He’s so hard on himself. It’s good to see him so happy.”
Oh God. I can’t take credit for that. And I’m struggling to find a response when Tessa marches up to us and interrupts. “Maribel! I thought you were wearing that cute little romper today.”
Maribel glances down at her running shorts and looks vaguely guilty. “I forgot.”
Tessa reaches down and grabs her hand, examining it. “Let me touch up this manicure before the rehearsal, okay? But the next two hours are for game time. If both of you joined me for badminton or horseshoes, then the rest of the guests would join in.”
“Sounds good,” Maribel says, rising.
But I’m not nearly so obedient. “Flying objects aren’t really my thing, but thanks.”
Tessa looks instantly annoyed. “I don’t see why you can’t help kick off one of our activities. Any fool can play horseshoes. But also, where are…” She glances down the beach, toward the dock. “We were also supposed to have four WaveRunners. What’s taking so long?”
“That’s okay,” Maribel says quickly. “We don’t need those.”
“But I requested WaveRunners.” Tessa looks exasperated. “And everyone loves them! Especially the men.”
Maribel blanches. “N-not really,” she says. “I’m not a fan.”
“I’m going to ask about them,” Tessa says, tucking her clipboard under her arm. “I’ll find a staff member.”
She starts to march away. Maribel, though—her face is suddenly gray.
Oh shit. I hop off my chair and chase Tessa down. “Hey, wait up! No WaveRunners.”
Tessa seems not to hear me. She keeps on trucking, raising her clipboard to wave to a hotel worker in white shorts and a Blue Button Bay polo shirt.
“Tessa! Hold up.” I leap over a spiky-looking piece of driftwood and reach for her hand. It almost works. I catch the sleeve of her flowy beach cover-up and end up yanking it half off her shoulder.
She comes to a stop and whips around. “Get your hands off me! What the hell are you doing?”
“Listen,” I say, dropping my voice. “You can’t bring out those WaveRunners.”
Her eyes bulge. “Don’t tell me what to do!
You of all people don’t get a say.” She puts her hands on her skinny hips as she snarls at me.
“I planned this four-day event from the ground up. Every hour. Every meal. Every activity. And you can’t even respect the schedule!
You had to take Dad out to lunch today, of all days.
This isn’t just, like, a free hotel weekend for you and your boy toy. This is the family event of the year.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Is that the excuse my father and Kandi made for our hospital trip?
“Why did you even come to this wedding?” Tessa demands. “To brag about your job? To show off your cool boyfriend?”
“Listen!” I’m completely exasperated. “I just need one damn minute of your time. Don’t bring out the WaveRunners, okay?”
“Why?” Tessa yelps. “What do you care?”
“Oh, I don’t,” I say, throwing a glance over my shoulder to make sure Maribel isn’t right behind me.
Theo’s got her tucked under his arm, though, and he’s watching us with a grumpy frown.
“But Maribel turned the color of milk when you mentioned them. And she clearly told you to drop it. There must be a reason. Do you know how Danny died? Her first fiancé?”
“No?” She wrinkles up her pretty nose, like I’m the one who’s not paying attention. “That was a long time ago.”
“Apparently not to her,” I insist. “Read the fucking room for once in your life. She doesn’t want the WaveRunners!”
“Then why can’t she tell me herself?”
“She tried! But you never listen!” I shriek. “You just steamrolled her! She probably gave up trying to talk to you a long time ago, like the rest of us. You’re straight-up exhausting.”
Somehow this blow lands, and Tessa looks stricken. For at least a split second, anyway. Then she licks her perfect lips. “Lower. Your. Voice. People are staring.”
“Like I care? It’s no big secret that you’re the one that Dad has to baby. God forbid your little feelings get hurt. And I already know I’m the bitchy one who never shows up. Same old, same old. But if you bring out those WaveRunners, I’ll light them on fire.”
Having said my piece, I turn around, take a step, and smack right into Eric’s chest.
He catches me, absorbing the blow. “Darcy? You okay?”
I turn my head to take in Tessa, who’s staring at us with murder in her eyes. And I don’t even know how to answer. My goal for the weekend was to survive it without having a smackdown with Tessa.
Big fail. She’s stomping off, hopefully not to scream at my dad.
I swivel in Eric’s arms and look up at him. From this angle, he’s all impressive jaw and gray eyes. “Did your brother die on a jet ski?”
He doesn’t release me from his hold. He kisses me on top of the head instead. “Yeah. He did. How did you guess?”
“Tessa was blabbing about bringing some out for the guests on the beach, which made Maribel look ill.”
He flinches. “Yeah. I saw a guy with four of them on a trailer, and I asked him not to bring them out. I told him why.”
“Oh,” I say slowly. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”
He shakes his head. “It’s okay. I just didn’t want Maribel thinking about them. Not today. Not that Theo would get on one. I’m sure he knows the story.”
“God.” I glance out at the water, which is a pristine blue in the sunshine. Maribel probably sees something different when she looks at it, though. “How did it happen? Can I ask?”
Eric’s shrug is a little stiff. “He was with his friends, and it was dusk. You’re not supposed to ride them at night. He was very drunk, I think. My parents don’t talk about that part, but I heard some things. He hit a moored boat. Maribel saw it happen, but she couldn’t get to him in time.”
“Oh no! Were you there?”
“No.” He hugs me a little more tightly. “No, I was the kid brother. I wasn’t invited.”
We stand there for a long beat, both of us miserable for different reasons now. I listen to Eric’s strong heart beating beneath my ear, and it’s the most comforting sound I can think of right now.
Why did you come? Tessa asked me. This is a question I’d avoided asking myself. It’s like asking—why do you keep banging your head into that wall, Darcy? Do you expect it to stop hurting at some point?
“Come on,” Eric says, grasping my hand. “Let’s walk up the beach and pick a spot with nobody nearby. We deserve a break from the Wedding Experience.”